Ronald Nicholas Sheptak

On September 14, 2022, in the presence of his wife and children, Ronald Nicholas Sheptak of Wadsworth, Illinois closed his eyes for the final time. The second of three children born to Nick, an immigrant steel welder from Czechoslovakia and Anna, Ronald was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. As a child, he fell in love with sports and could be found playing everything from stickball to basketball, football, hockey and games none of us have ever heard of all around Jefferson Street. Some of his fondest childhood memories were of the one day a year when his father would take the children to old Comisky Park to watch his beloved White Sox play the Yankees. In his later years he loved telling stories of seeing Mickey Mantle in person.

In his teenage years, his passion and aptitude for chemistry as well as a desire to move beyond the limits of Gary led him to Purdue University where he joined the Delta Chi fraternity and worked five jobs simultaneously while excelling in his studies. One of his favorite stories from those years involved a can of parmesan cheese and an air vent. He graduated Purdue in 1967, the same year his Boilermakers played in the Rose Bowl with him in attendance.

After graduation, he moved to Waukegan, Illinois where he began his career with Abbot Laboratories while pursuing an MBA at Loyola University. It was during this time when he met Diane Livingston, the love of his life. Married in 1970, Ron and Diane enjoyed fifty-two years as husband and wife. While on Butrick Street in Waukegan, the couple would make lifelong friends and welcome their two adopted children to the family in 1976 and 1982.

In 1983, Ron accomplished another goal when he and his family moved to Wadsworth where he finally had the large yard and space he had dreamed of since the days of having to play sports on the streets of Gary. Ron fell in love with everything about Wadsworth. He and the family became regulars at The Shanty and The Duck Inn. In the early 1990's, he would join the village board as a Trustee. A position he would hold for eight years. Some of his favorite accomplishments during his terms were helping build the new and current Wadsworth Park and successfully petitioning the state to have certain portions of land declared forest preserve.

After thirty-five years of employment, Ron retired from his position of Director of Quality Assurance at Abbott in 2002. He happily spent his retirement years going for summer Sunday drives in his Corvette with Diane, watching his White Sox and Boilermakers, enjoying the view from his deck with a cigar, and talking politics with his friends over two cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon at The Shanty every Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

He was preceded in death by his parents Nick and Anna (Bazja) and brother Robert. He is survived by Diane, his loving wife of fifty-two years; daughter Kim (Carlborg); son, Nicholas; and his sister Julie (Adamo).

Visitation will be at St. Patrick's Church in Wadsworth at 1pm on Saturday, October 1, with mass at 2 p.m., followed by a celebration of life at The Shanty South from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Donations in his memory can be made to St. Jude's.